John Newton Lummus Jr. was a banker, public servant and the City of Miami Beach's fifth mayor.
Famous mobster, Al Capone showed interest in buying a house in the area.
In a controversial move, Lummus Jr., not only welcomed Capone to Miami Beach — he helped the gangster acquire the Palm Island property.
[4] At the end of his term, Lummus handed the reigns back to his predecessor, Louis F Snedigar, who eventually became Miami Beach's longest serving mayor.
After his contentious service in Miami Beach, Lummus became the Dade County Tax assessor, a position which he held from 1929 to 1953, except during his service in World War II.